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The Evolution of Coal Mine Maintenance Systems in my 35 Years
The Evolution of Coal Mine Maintenance
Systems in my 35 Years
After more than 30 years in the underground mining industry, Steve Martin joined Dingo in the role of Condition Intelligence and Program Manager. In October, Steve is stepping into retirement life and we recently sat down with him to learn some lessons from his experiences in the industry.
My mining career started in 1975 in West Kentucky. In those days, most mines were using conventional mining equipment, coal was blasted from the face after being undercut by the cutting machine, and holes drilled for the powder by the coal drill. There were very few continuous miners even in existence, and those that actually were in operation were extremely small by today's standards.
The importance of having a formal mine maintenance program had just begun to be realized. At the young age of 25, having just completed a mine maintenance program conducted by the local community college and vocational school, I found myself in the role of Maintenance Planner at a manufacturing plant.
My experience as a maintenance planner, coupled with the mining maintenance equipment knowledge I received from my training, uniquely qualified me to start up a preventive maintenance program at this operation. This was an exciting opportunity, but as I took on the responsibilities of maintenance foreman, the planning activities took a back seat. When a breakdown occurred, the Chief of Maintenance was responsible to get the equipment back up and running. This left little time for planning and scheduling, let alone even thinking about a preventive maintenance program.
We learned that the only way we would be able to stop battling unplanned equipment failures was to institute some type of preventive maintenance program. There were a few leaders in the industry that led the way by tracking component life and scheduling replacement by determining average life expectancy. One of these pioneers shared his information with me and I was able to duplicate his processes at my operations.
This early era of preventive maintenance programs lasted into the early 80's. Lubrication companies also began offering their assistance in monitoring components by use of oil samples. However, proper oil sampling techniques were rarely practiced and results were tremendously inaccurate.
By the mid 80's, "Time- Based" preventive maintenance programs were being utilized at some operations, and planners were added to the mining operations to evaluate component life and to schedule work. The importance of a good CMMS system became a necessary and invaluable tool. Operations were doing many different versions of oil analysis systems, all with varying degrees of success. There was little understanding of how important this process could be.
Until around the mid-90s, my primary focus was on perfecting a time-based maintenance program. Around this time, Dingo began making inroads into the mining community with a new practice of preventive mine maintenance. As a young mine maintenance manager, I would have given anything to have had the Dingo program available to me, and would likely have had a lot more nights at home asleep in my bed. No matter how hard I tried to monitor my equipment, I was always getting distracted by the crisis of the moment, and my PM program would be put on the back burner.
Today, mining companies all over the world are moving from their standard time-based systems to the condition-based system introduced to them by Dingo. Since I've been working with Dingo, I've been able to focus directly on each component at a mine without any distractions. Using Dingo's Trakka® as my database for information, I'm able to trend what is happening to any lubricated component and recommend actions to correct problems. After actions are recommended, processes are in place to ensure the component is returned to normal condition or else, removed from service. This is a process that is nearly impossible to do in a standard maintenance department.
I've always liked puzzles – knowing what it takes to make something work and then deciphering what it takes to make it work even better. Mining gave me the opportunity to continually grow.
I've been lucky to have had a great career in the mining industry, but I know it doesn't come without sacrifice. To that end, the biggest highlight of my career has been to see what my kids have become. I spent so much time at the mine, that my wife virtually raised them alone. I can only hope that some of my ethics toward people and work had a little to do with it.
As I retire from 35 years in the mining industry, I'm excited to see the technology advances with machines and the way we operate them. I can't lie…I'm pretty excited about retirement too…when I'm working in my office at home I can look out my window at beautiful Lake Barkley, which I'm told is fantastic for fishing. But, I've never liked cold weather, so I'm sure walking on warm beaches in the winter with my wife is in the picture. One thing I will do is stay in contact with the mining industry and the people in it. The people and the industry are in my blood, and I'm grateful they are.
If I could pass on any wisdom to the next generation of mining professionals it would be to live by some personal rules that I've tried to hold to:
- Realize that no matter what position you hold, you work with people with ideas and feelings. Listening to their ideas and treating everyone like you'd want to be treated will create a successful team.
- Spend the company's money as if it were your own.
- When making decisions realize that each one affects everyone at the mine.
- Know that not all the decisions you make will be right ones. It's how you handle all your decisions, even the wrong ones, which make you who you are.
If you are interested in lubrication training programs offered by Dingo, you are invited to visit Dingo at www.dingo.com or contact us directly by phone or by e-mail at goverboe@dingo.com. In North America call +1 888 346-4630 and in Australia, call +61 7 3115 9000.
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